7.31.2013

Jacuzzi Boys

In a year when many bands have softened their edges and ended up wading too far into beefed up production that they lose too many of the idiosyncrasies that first led listeners to their doorstep (see: Smith Westerns, Milk Music, Surfer Blood), Jacuzzi Boys have allowed themselves to evolve without losing that kernel of oddball eccentricity that's long brought people into their fold. The album takes some cues from the last half of Glazin' using the downtempo sway of "Koo Koo With You" and bonus cover "Born Dancer" as inspiration for an album that sways through patches of brightly colored pop, that, while no longer wrestling crocodiles, still explodes with restrained squalls and the rock candy crunches of guitar that explode in your eardrums with a delightful fizz. A good chunk of the album does strip back the tempos a bit, and they sit nicely into the laid back swings of these tracks with the same ease they have fitting into more exuberant tracks; only here replacing that candy crunch with an eerie and road worn bit of low-slung classic guitar sheen. It feels like the Boys are finally finding their stride, becoming comfortable in their own nook of glam-stomped garage, but taking it well beyond the simple trappings of their 7" days and letting those vibes spread out with a wingspan that fits them. Self-titled albums always seem a weird move if not positioned as a debut, but here it seems that they're making a statement that they've finally arrived and are jumping full tilt into the Jacuzzi and owning who they are.